Driven fastening means



M., Mw.

R. K. ATWELL DRIVEN FASTENING MEANS Filed Dec. 30 |922.

atente et.' l, l

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BOJBT KING ATWELL, F SUTV'ER BAY, NEW YOR. i

DRIVEN FSTENING MEANS.

Application led December 30, 1922. Serial No. 609,858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT KING ATWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Silver Bay, on Lake George, in the county of Warren and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driven Fastening Means, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in 1o driven fastening means and has particular reference to the provision of a double nail adapted to secure the adjacent edges of two sheets of material together with a single driving operation. ln the customary method of placing and securing the adjacent edges of roofing shingles, wall boards and the like to the sheathing or studs, a series of nails are generally driven through the material near each of 2@ the adjacent marginal edges, thus requiring two separate driving operations to secure the adjacent sheets in fixed relation. lt is to overcome the necessity of this double driving operation that the present device was perfected, and to thus enable this fastening operation to be accomplished by the expenditure of a minimum of time and eort.

An object of my invention is to provide a double or twin nail in which the heads of the separate prongs of the nail are held in proper position for simultaneous contact with the driving hammer or hatchet, and in which a frangible cross bar, or bars hold the prongs in parallel spaced relation for a portion of the driving operation and, upon the subsequent blows from the hammer or hatchet, break away to permit the nails to be seated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a double or twin nail in which the frangible bar or bars temporarily connecting the two prongs are spaced in such position that the nails will not become entangled or interlocked when a number of the same are placed in a workmans pocket or other container.

A. further object of my invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, convenient in use, and highly eliicient in the purposes for which designed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication and in which like numerals are employed to designate like 5t parts throughout the several views;

Figure l is a fragmental view of a section of studding to which the adjacent edges of wall-board or other sheet material is ,fastened,

Figure 2 is a fragmental view of a section of roof or wall to which shingles are attached,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a preferred form of my invention,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the fastening means completely seated within the material,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of the fastening means, showing the same partially driven into the material,

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the form of the fastening device shown in Figure 5, and

Figures 7 and 8 are side and end elevations respectively of a special form of hammer or hatchet head particularly adapted for driving the nail into the material being fastened.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Fig. 3, the numerals l and 2 designate two nails, each provided with driving heads 3 and 4, said nails being connected together by cross-bars 5 and 6 which maintain the axes of the nails in parallel relation. rlihese cross bars are of equal length and are secured to the nails at points intermediate their ends. These bars are arranged parallel to each other and are spaced a sufiicient distance apart so that the distance between the two bars is, either perpendicularly or diagonally, less than the distance between the points of the nails l and 2, thus making it impossible for these points to get between the bars and become entangled. The extremities of the bars 5 and 6 are only lightly secured to the nails 1 and 2, and serve to hold the two nail heads in the proper position for simultaneous Contact with the hammer or hatchet during the initial driving action and upon subsequent driving, to break away and thus allow the nails to become seated. These bars further prevent the nails from becoming entangled in the mannerI specied above.

For the purpose of illustrating the method of using this preferred form of fastening means, I have shown in Figure 2, a studding ldd or sheathing 7 to which shingles 8 and 9 have been attached, although it should be understood that I in no way limit the use of the fastening means to this particular purpose, and have found that the same 1 s capable of use in any operation where 1t 1s desired to secure the adjacent marginal edges of sheet material in fixed relation. Referring to the shingling operation, a carpenter starting at the lower portion of the surface being covered, places his first shingle and nails the same to the sheathing or stud with an ordinary shingle nail, placing the nail near the outer edge of the shingle. The adjacent shingle 8 is then put in place and the points of the nails l and 2 placed on opposite sides of the joint between the two shingles. The carpenter then simultaneousl strikes the heads 3 and 4 a blow or two w11: i the hammer and the nails enter the shingle and sheathing until the upper surfaces of the shingles contact with the lower cross -bar 6. 'lhe bars 5 and 6, as previously de scribed, are only lightly secured to the nails l and 2 and a subsequent blow from the hammer breaks the bar 6 away from the nails 1 and 2 and the nails enter the material until the upper surfaces of the shingles contact with the bar 5, which upon a further driving cperation also breaks-away and allows the nails to be seated. It will thus be seen that this form of the device enablesthe marginal edges of two adjacent shingles to be secured to the surface with a single driving operation and that after the nails are seated the appearance of the work is the same as if two separate nails had been employed.

Referring specifically to the modified form of the device, it will be noted that the nails 1 and 2 are connected together by a fiat cross bar l0, corresponding in width to the diameter of the heads 3 and 4 and rigidly secured to the nails immediately below the said heads. Attached below the bar 10 is a second lcross bar 11 disposed parallel to the bar 10 and a suicient distance from the same so that the distance between the bars is, either perpendicularly or diagonally, less than the distance between the points of the nails 1 and 2. The extremities of this bar 11 are only lightly fastened to the nails 1 and 2 and the bar is adapted to break away in a manner similar to the bars 5 and 6 in Figure 3. The construction and operation of this modified form is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 3, with the exception` that in this form the upper bar 10 remains a permanent part of the fastening means when the same has been driven in, and this cross bar bridges the joint between the two nail heads and gives a firmer and larger engagement with the shingles. This increased bearing surface provided by the lower flattened side of the cross bar 10 aids materially in preventing the marginal edges of the sheet material from curling and buckling, and prevents the swelling of the material, due to the action of the weather or other causes, from pulling the material clear of the seated nail. Further by placing the cross bar 10 below the nail heads 3 and 4, the outer edges of the heads are raised above the surface of the material a distance corresponding tothe thickness of the bar 10 and this enables the jaws of an extracting instrument to be placed between the heads and material when it is desired to withdraw the fastening device.

In the manufacture of this device the same may be stamped from sheet metal stock, or made from strip material by a series of cutting, bending, and swaging operations, or the same may be cast. In the actual use of the device it is found necessary to em loy a special form of hammer or hatchet suoli as shown in Figures 7 and 8, and in which the diameter of the striking surface 12 is large enough to contact with both of the heads 3 and 4 so that they may be struck simultaneously during the driving operation. The striking 'surface of this speclal driving implement is charnfered as shown to revent the implement from slipping off of t e nail heads. It should be noted that both heads are engaged by the driving implement and that the strain of the blow is taken directly by the heads and not by the cross bar, as is common in a conventional staple.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention shown and described herein are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in construction, size and arran ement of parts may be resorted to without eparting from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims. l

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A driven fastening means comprising multiple prongs and a frangible bar connecting the prongs at points intermediate the ends of each prong, said bar being adapted to break away when the pron s are driven into the material being fastene 2. A driven fastening means comprising multiplev prongs, an upper cross bar connecting the prongs; and a lower cross bar connecting the prongs and adapted to break away when the prongs are driven into the material being fastened.

3..A driven fastening means comprising multiple prongs, an upper cross bar connecting the prongs and intermediate the ends of the same; and a lower frangible cross bar connecting the prongs and arranged parallel to the upper cross bar, said lower bar being adapted to break away when the prongs are driven into the material being fastened.

4. A driven fastening means comprising multiple prongs, and cross bars connectin the prongs, said cross bars being so space from each other that the distance between said bars is less than the distance between e the prongs.

5. A driven fastening means comprising a pair of headed nail prongs, an upper cross bar connecting said prongs for maintaining the same in proper position for simultaneous contact with a, driving hammer, and a lower frangible cross bar for maintaining the prongs in parallel spaced relation during the initial driving operation and adapted to break away from the prongs as the same are driven into the material being fastened.

In testimony whereof l hereunto a my signature.

ROBERT la s A'IWELL. 

